Dispensing device



p ,-1 3 E. G. WESS MAN 1,878,354

I DTSPEKSING DEVICE v Filed Dec. 19, 1.928

a Sheets -Shoet 1 Edwzh 6, l Vadmaw l U32. E. wasmAN 1,878,354

DISPENSING DEVICE F116 Dec. 19. 1928 s Sheets-Sheet 2 ammo- Sept. 20, 1932. E. a. WESSMIAN 1,373,354

.. I DISPENSING-DEVICE Filed Dec. 19. 192,8 s Sheets-Sheet s gwuentoz .Zidwzh 6"; 7165511222 I Patented Sept. 20, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENEOFFlCE EDWIN G. WESSMAN, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA, A SSIGNOR TO INDIVIDUAL DRINK- ING CUP COMPANY, 'INC., 01 EAS'I'ON, PENNSYLVANIA, CORPORATION 01' PENN- the like and has for its principal SYLVANIA nrsrnnsme Davida Application filed "December 19, 1928. Serial No. 327,138.

My invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in dispensing devices and more particularly to means for dispensing receptacles or similar articles such as paper cups or object the provision of a device which is simple and relatively inexpensive in construction, wh ch may be easily secured in position, and wh ch may be filled through the same opening through which the articles are dlspensed, 1n the case of cups or the like they being positioned with their closed ends uppermost and adapted to be withdrawn from the top, against the action of retaining members, a

portion projecting in position to be grasped by the person, desirm to obtain one.

Another object of t e invention resides 1n the provision of a dispensing device having a follower which supports a stack of articles in such a manner that they are normally urged towards the dispensing opening, means engaging the outermost article to normally retard movement of the follower, with the stack of articles, but enablin the easy withdrawal of the outermost artic e and the movement of the follower to position the next article in engagement with the retarding or restraining members.

Another. object of the invention consists in forming the follower in such a manner that it has a portion to be received in the open end of the innermost article, andprovidingmeans for guiding the movement ofthe follower, a weight being connected to the follower for normally urging the same towards the dispensing opening.

Still anotherobject' resides in so forming the dispenser as to provide a magazine to receive a stack of the articles and to maintain the same in a sanitary condition.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention consists in the'novel details of construction-and arrangement of parts, described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that such changes may be plate 20 the vertical edges made as will fall within the scope of the ap- Q nded claims. In the drawings Fig. 1 is a'side elevation. Fig. 2 is a frontelevation.

Fi 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows. I

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows; and r Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on theline 5--5 of Fig. 3,1ookingin the direction of the arrows.

In the "drawings 1 indicates a top plate or -casting adapted to be secured to a counter, table, or other support 2 by. means of the screws 3 or other suitable fastener, and provided with a dispensing opening 4 beveled interiorly, at the upper end, as shown at 5 and at 6. The plate or casting, ad'a'cent the dispensing opening 4, is provide with a recess in which is positioned a projection 8 forming a bearing for the screw. 9 which forms in. turn a bearing for the pulley 10. Interiorly threaded projections 11 are formed exteriorly of the plate or casting 1, around the dispensing'opening 4, and openings 12 lead from the threadedv bore of the projections to the interior of the dispensing openings 4. Received in each of the threaded bores 11 are the pins 13 each having an enlarged pointed head 14 formed on the inner end and adapted to extend through the opening 12 and to project interiorly of the dispensing openin 4 as shown more particularly in Figs. 3 an -4 of the drawings. At 15 I have shown a bottom plate or casting having the upwardly extending flange 16 formed around theouter edge thereof and positioned between the top plate or casting 1 and he bottom plate or casting 15, is a casing or housing 17 of the shape shown more particularly in Fig. 5 of the drawings, the forward face being preferably rounded as shown at 18and the rear bein open and provided with outwardly exten ing flanges. 19 forming a guide for the removable backcurved, or'bent, as shown more particularly in Fig. 5 of the drawings to receive the flanges 19. The casing or housing 17 is 'secured to the top plate or casting 1 by means 5 of the screws 21 or other suitable fasteners "and to the bottom plate or casting 15 by means of the screws or-fastenings 22. The removable back plate 20, is secured to the top plate or casting 1 by means of the screws or fastenings 23 and to the bottom plate or casting by means of the screws or other fastenmgs 24. --The back plate 26 is removable, preferably by sliding downwardly and the upper movement thereof is limited by 1 means of the rib 25 formed on the plate or casting 1.

Positioned within the casing 'or housing 17,

and held betweenthe top plate or casting 1 and the bottom plate or casting 15 is a cylgo inder 26 forming a magazine for a stack of the articles 27, in the present instance the articles being shown in the shape of paper cups or containers having a tapered body portion and an exteriorly extending flange 28 25 around the open end. The cylinder 26 is positioned in the forwardmost part of the-casing or housing 17, as shown more particularly in Fig. 5 of the drawings and the curvature thereof conformsto the curvature of the rounded portion 18 of the casing or housing. An elongated opening 29 is formed in the cylinder 26, as more particularly shown in Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings and forms a guide for the arm 30 which is formed on or carried by the sleeve 31 which is slidably mounted on the vertically extending rod 32 positioned within the casing or housing 17 and secured thereinby means of the top and bottom castings or plates 1 and 15, the upper end of the rod being received in a recess in a lug or projection 23 and the lower end thereof being received in the recess ofa lug or projection 34, the lug or projection 33 being formed on the plate or casting 1 and the lug or projection 34 formed on the bottom plate or casting 15. Secured to that end of the arm 30, which projects throu h the opemng 29 into the cylinder 26, by t e screw 35 or other similar fastening, is the member 36 forming a head tosupport the cups 27 which are arranged in a nested stack, the head 36 being formed with an upwardly extending flange or projection 37 which is adapted to be received in the open end of the lowermost cup, the edge of the lowermost cup resting upon the portion 39 extending around the flange. It will be seen that the cylinder 26 forms a magazine for the stack of cups and the arm 30 with the sleeve 31 and head 36 form a follower for supporting the stack of cups and normally urging them towards the dispensing opening 4 by means to be later described. The pointed heads 14 of the pins 13 engage the flange 28 of the uppermost cup 65 and the pins with their enlarged heads are and might be referred to as floating projec tions adapted to engage the flanges of.the cups. By this arrangement when a cup is to be withdrawn little exertion isneeded to force the projections inwardly against the action of the coiled springs toggyelease them from the flange of the cup.

Secured to the sleeve .31, by means of the screws or other suitable fastenings ,41, is one end of a chain 42 the opposite end of the chain being secured, by means of a pin 43, in the recess 44 formed in the upper end of a weight 45. As shown more particularly'in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings the chain passes over the pulley 10. Surrounding the lower end of the chain 42 and supported on the upper end of the weight 45 is acoiled spring 46 which acts as a buffer when the weight is raised and engages the bottom surface of the top plate or casting 1 to prevent jar. It will be noted that the chain 42 passes through an opening 47, formed in the bottom of the top plate or casting 1.. A coiled spring 48 surrounds the lower end of the rod 32 and is supported on top of the projection 34 to form a bufi'er for the sleeve 31 when the same is lowered. A coiled spring 49 surrounds the rod 32 and is supported by the upper end of the sleeve 31 to form a bufierfor the sleeve when the same is raised to its-uppermost position. Secured to the top of the bottom plate or casting 15, by means of the screw 50 or other suitable fastening'is the rubber bufier block 51 adapted to be enga ed by the weight 45 when the same is lowere to prevent undue shock or j ar;

From the above detailed description it is thought that the manner of using my improved form of dispensing device will be clearly understood. It will be seen that the cups or other articles will be arranged in stack formation and, if the articles are in the form of cups, will be nested as shown more particularly in Fig. 3 of the drawings with the open end of the lowermost cup resting on the portion 38 of the follower head 36 and surrounding the upwardly extending flange 37. The closed end or'bottom of the uppermost cup will project beyond the top of the dispensinglopening 4 with the flan e 28 surrounding t e open end engaged by' t e spring pressed pointed projections 14. The follower is urged upwardly towards the dispensing opening by means of the weight 45 whichis connected by means of the chain 42 with the sleeve 31 of the follower. The pressure behind the pointed projections 14 will be tance so that the flange of the cup .will en gage the projections. The weight is sufficient to normally raise the follower with the overcome the spring pressure behind the pointed projections 14 to force these cups be-' yond the projections. In other words the spring pressure behind the pointed projections is suflicient to overcome the raising action of the weight and allow the cups to re main stationary until removed by the person. The pointed projections, being of a floating character may be easily removed to release the cup when the same is withdrawn from the stack. It will be noted that the dispensing opening 4 is of a diameter substantially the same as the largest diameter of the cups and the inclined portion'B guides the cups as they are forced upwardly into the dispensing opening. When it is desired to re plenish the cups in the stack a supply thereof is passed through the dispensing opening being guided thereto by the incline 5, it being verted position so that the open end of the lowermost cup being introduced will telescope over the bottom or closed end of the cup remaining in the stack within the magaz ne if there be one left in position. If there are no cups left in the stack the lowermost cup will rest upon the head of the follower as has beenpreviously-described. In introducing the new supply of cups the follower will be forced downwardly against the action of the weight. The stack of cups, as can be seen, will be posi tioned within the cylinder 26 so as to be maintained in a sanitary condition at all times and as the cups are maintainedin the stack in inverted position there is no possibility of dirt or other impurities entering the open ends of the cups. I have found an apparatus or dispensing device of the character described and. disclosed as of advantage for securing quick service for it can be appreciated that a person desiring the cup may very easily grasp the bottom end of the cup, which is projecting upwardly through the dispensing opening, and then withdraw the uppermost cup through the dispensing opening and invert the same to receive-the desired liquid or other commodity. I also lay particular advantage on the fact that the dispensing. device may be filled or e5 replenished through the same opening stack of cups thereon but is not sufficient to understood that the cups are introduced in inthrough which they are dispensed and to fill or replenish it is not necessary to remove any parts, the pointed projections 14 being forced r'earwardly due to the pressure applied in pushing the stack of cups or other articles through the filling opening.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A dispensing device including a cast-- ing having an opening through which articles are adapted tobe inserted or dispensed and a recess adjacent the opening, a casing secured to the casting and depending therefrom, a magazine positioned in the casing in alignment with the opening for receiving articles inserted through the opening, a follower operable in the magazine and support-' ing the articles therein, a pulley mounted in the recess of the casting, and means connected to the follower and operable over the pulley for normally urging the follower with the articles supported thereby towards the opening in the casting.

2. In a dispensing device adapted to support a stack of articles in inverted position with a portion of the terminal article ex posed in position to be readily grasped, a casing having an opening-through which the articles are inserted and dispensed, readily yieldable floating projections positioned intermediate the endsof the opening and extending into the opening at right anglesto the vertical center of the opening, the projections normally engaging the terminal article, and means for normally urging the stack upwardly with the terminal article engaged with the projections, said projections having sufiicient resistance to revent ejection of the terminal article by t e upwardly urging means but allowing the same to be withdrawn by an upward""'pull, the projections yielding as the articles are inserted through the opening and forced downwardly under pressure.

3. In a dispensing device adapted to support a stack of flanged articles in inverted position with a portion of the terminal article exposed in position to be readily grasped, a casing having an opening through which the articles are inserted and dispensed, readily yieldable floating projections positioned intermediate the ends of the opening and extending into the opening at right angles to the vertical center of the opening to normally engage the flange of the terminal article, and means for normally urging the. stack upwardly with't-he flange of the terminal article engaged with the projections, said projections having sufiicient resistance to prevent ejection of the terminal article by the upwardly urging means but allowing the same to be withdrawn by an upward pull, the projections yielding as the articles are in- 130 serted through the opening and forced downward? under pressure.

4. n a dispensing device adapted to support a stack of articles in inverted with a portion of the terminal article exposed in position to be readily grasped, a casing having an opening through which the articles are inserted and dispensed, readily yieldable projections positioned intermediate the ends of the opening and extending therein to normally engage the terminal article,

the ends of the opening on opposite sides of i EDWIN G. WESSMAN.

osition 

